Defender Of My Heart

Chapter 9

Chapter 9 – Leah's POV

I walked into the reception of an office block seeing my two managers.

"Hey!" I say giving them each a hug.

"Morning Leah, how are we?" Natalie my manager asks.

"Yeah good thanks, how are you two?"

"We're good thanks, are you ready to head up?" Leanne asks.

"Yeah lets go" I nod and we make our way over to the lift.

"So where did you get the recommendation for this PR company?" Natalie asks

"Oh it comes heavily recommended" I smiled to myself.

The lift doors opened and we walked up to the desk.

"Hi, we're here for a meeting with April at 9:30am" Natalie says.

The young girl on the front desk was looking down at her desk.

"One moment please" she said. Finishing off her paperwork she looks up, mouth dropping open. "Oh my god, Leah Williamson"

I smile and wave. "Hi"

"Oh my god" she repeats, whispering this time. I still haven't got used to how people react to me since the Euro's.

"We're here for a meeting with April at 9:30am" Natalie repeats.

"Yes of course I'm so sorry!" she picks up the phone slightly flustered and calls through to April's office. "She's just coming if you just wait here".

"Thank you" we all say.

A minute later a tall blonde lady makes her way through the doors walking over to us.

We greet and follow her to a meeting room. Walking in I glance around at everyone saying "Hi" and giving people a wave. My eye's stop at Jules whose mouth is dropped open I smirk and follow my manager to sit at the top of the table.

"Good morning, everyone, Welcome to the meeting, so today as you can see it's a little bit of a different meeting. As you all know I scheduled you all here for a meeting with Leah and her team. They've joined us to see what we here at AP Social can do to help Leah in not only her personal image but professional image." April says.

I grabbed the bottle of water opening, taking a sip. I glance over in Jules' direction. She mouthes 'Hi' with a little wave with a pen in her hand and then quickly retracted looking embarrassed I stifle a laugh and look down at the ground to compose myself.

"So, would anyone like to take to the floor with any idea's you might have for Leah?" April says.

A hand shoots up across the table and a girl stands up, she's dressed in a suit with long blonde hair all curled, and a full face of makeup, fairly overdressed for work I would say but each to their own.

"Tessa, what are your thoughts". Okay, Tessa is her name.

"Good morning, Leah and good morning, everyone. It's so great to have you here I speak on behalf of all of us to say that we are so honoured" quite dramatic, I hear laughing coming from Jules direction and look over.

"Jules, are you okay?" April asks.

"Sorry just got something stuck in my throat" she sips her tea "Please continue"

"I will. As I was saying what is in at the moment is figures, you know like toys"? Damn, hostile much.

"Toys?" I ask hesitantly.

"Yes, you know like figurines, we could market them as a Mini England Captain or something like that, they're really in right now". 

"Sorry do you have something to say Bella" April queries. I look to who Bella is and she's the girl sat next to Jules. Blonde hair, in space buns.

"Yes, actually I was just saying that market is specifically with action movie characters, I somehow think it wouldn't work for this" Bella says

"Okay let's see, does anyone else have any other ideas?"

Natalie turns to me "Hopefully someone comes up with something else because that's not what we're looking for" I nod my head and I agree before I hear a familiar voice from across the room.

"I have a few suggestions" Jules says, the room pipes down.

"Go ahead Jules" April says.

"Women's Football is growing incredibly fast. As interesting as it is to grow the personal and professional image outside of football and being the face for other things. I think an idea would be to focus in on what needs to change within and what Leah can do with the platform that she has." She stops to look over at us as if to say 'Shall I continue' I nod my head liking the sound of this already.

"Start off with podcasts and panels talking about Women in Sport, Rising Stars, any football related panels, get Leah signed up and out there talking about what she specialises in, which is football. Then start to branch out again but staying true to the brand that is being created and that everything is authentic. In such a people facing role, if Leah gets booked on something purely for the money with no knowledge and no love for it, people will see right through it. I suggest if we stick to the real passion's that make Leah feel happy and confident to talk about and be involved with."

Wow... this girl knows her stuff, and knows exactly what I'm looking for PR wise, I knew we were right to come here.

"That sounds great" Natalie says.

"That's exactly what I'm looking for" I said smiling over at her.

"Well fantastic, Leah thanks so much for coming today. The meeting is finished for today, if I could ask everyone to leave whilst I just chat to Leah for a moment and Tessa if you could stay for this that would be great, thanks everyone"

I look around the room saying a brief thanks to everyone before they all get up and start to leave.

To my right I see Tessa and April take a seat and how I wished that whatever this conversation was about could've included Jules.